Worst Fear
by Keleficent
Summary: This was all Stan's fault. What he thought was just harmless banter had pushed Dipper away. He lost his temper and led Dipper into danger. He failed to protect him when he needed him most.


Dipper was used to being made fun of. He was bullied all the time at school. But it was different when the hurtful words came from your own family. Stan's teasing seemed endless since he arrived at Gravity Falls. Dipper wished he had a dollar for each time Stan called him a wimp or a nerd. He seemed to be rubbing off on Mabel because she liked to tease him now as well.

Dipper decided to go monster hunting by himself since Mabel blew him off once again to be with her friends.

"Hey, where are you going, short stack?" Stan stopped him right before he made it out the door.

"Just going out."

"What? Hunting for the tooth fairy today?" Stan knew magical creatures did exist, and it scared him when Dipper wanted to look for them.

"I'm just going out." Dipper wanted to get out of here as quickly as possible.

"Hold on, kid. I was thinking you and me could, you know, hang out today."

"Really?" His uncle wanted to spend time with him?

"Yeah, you know, man-to-man bonding."

Dipper smiled thinking Stan was finally treating him with respect.

"Or at least man and…you."

That was the straw that broke the camel's back. For a moment, Dipper thought Stan actually liked him. Apparently, his idea of quality time was just more jokes about Dipper. "You know what? I think I'll pass."

"Come on, kid, you don't want to-"

"Listen to you make fun of me all day? Surprisingly, I don't."

"Geez, Dipper, I didn't realize you were so sensitive. I didn't think you'd get so riled up over a joke."

"You know what's a joke, Grunkle Stan? Being made fun of because I actually have some brains."

"What's that supposed to mean?" The joking tone was gone from Stan's voice.

"I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry I'm not like you. I'm sorry I'm not a con artist running a tourist trap dump in the middle of nowhere. I'm sorry I actually want to use my mind and make something of myself." Dipper saw Stan was angry. Good, he deserved to know how it felt.

"I'm warning you, kid."

"I'm sorry I'm not a lying-"

"Stop."

"Cheating-"

"Shut up."

"Loser!"

Dipper's diatribe ended with Stan punching him in the stomach. Dipper hunched over and clutched his abdomen.

"Oh my God. Dipper, I'm so sorry." Stan was sent into a blind rage by the familiar insults. It was if his nephew had been possessed by the spirit of his father. But Dipper wasn't his father. He was just a little boy.

Dipper coughed and looked up at his uncle shocked that Stan has gone this far. He gave the briefest, but most resentful glare to Stan before asking, "Why do you hate me, Grunkle Stan?"

Dipper didn't wait for an answer before he ran off into the woods so Stan didn't see him cry. He was surprised that he didn't run into a tree considering his tears made it almost impossible to see. Between sprinting and sobbing, it was hard to catch his breath. He was forced to stop and lean on a tree. He rubbed his throbbing abdomen.

Dipper heard someone approaching. Stan must have caught up to him somehow. He didn't bother drying his eyes knowing only more tears would fall. He braced himself for Stan's abuse, physical or emotional.

"I know you're there, Stan. Do whatever you want. I don't care anymore."

But the figure that approached him was not Stan. It was not even human. He recognized the creature as the Gremloblin. The large terrifying creature backed Dipper up against a tree. The Gremloblin lunged at him. Dipper threw his arms in front of his face and looked away. Instead of being mauled, he heard a yell. He opened his eyes to see Stan tackle the Gremloblin away from Dipper.

"Dipper, run!" Stan wrestled with the creature to give Dipper time to escape. But it got the better of Stan and pinned him to the ground. Stan tried to push it off, but it was too strong. It's hideous yellow eyes glowed down at its prey.

Before it could bite off Stan's head, a rock hit the monster's face. Both it and Stan looked to where the rock came from. It had been thrown by Dipper.

"Dipper, what are you doing? Get out of here!"

Dipper ignored him. "Come on, monster! Come and get me!"

The creature complied with Dipper's taunts and leaped at him. A horrifying scream came from Dipper's mouth. Not the scream he gave when Stan scared him with a funny mask or when they watched a horror movie. It was a sound Stan had never heard from Dipper or anyone for that matter. It was deep and guttural, fueled by pain and fear as the creature used its teeth and claws to tear apart Dipper's body.

"NO!" Stan gave his own scream in the same vein as Dipper's. It must have been unnerving even to the creature for it fled into the woods. Stan went to Dipper's side. The kid was covered in blood and huge chunks of his skin had been torn off. He thought Dipper was already dead until he spoke in a quiet voice.

"Grunkle Stan…"

"Dipper…Dipper, don't talk." Stan didn't know what to do. He didn't have a phone to call an ambulance. He didn't want to move Dipper and make his injuries worse. But he couldn't leave Dipper where he lay either. In every scenario he thought of, Dipper won't make it long enough to get help.

Stan's heart came up to his throat. There was nothing he could do to save Dipper.

"I'm going to die, aren't I?"

"No…no, you're not." It was the biggest lie the conman had ever told, and he couldn't even do it convincingly.

"You're…you're lying. You always lie."

Tears fell down Stan's cheeks. He cradled Dipper's head with his hand. "I'm sorry, Dipper. I'm so sorry."

"Don't let me die, Grunkle Stan. Save me, please."

"I can't…I can't, Dipper. I would give anything to, but I can't."

"You don't wanna save me. You hate me."

"That's not true, Dipper. I don't hate you. I…I…"

Before Stan could spit out the words, Dipper eyes glazed over. Those eyes that used to be so filled with curiosity and wonder now looked up at him blank and lifeless. Stan pulled down Dipper's eyelids to close his eyes. He picked up Dipper's limp and lifeless body not caring about the blood staining his suit. He pressed his face against Dipper's and wailed over his lost nephew.

This was all Stan's fault. What he thought was just harmless banter had pushed Dipper away. He lost his temper and led Dipper into danger. He failed to protect him when he needed him most. Stan wished more than anything that he was dead instead of Dipper.

 _"Grunkle Stan?"_

He swore he could still hear Dipper's voice.

 _"Grunkle Stan?"_

Wait, he really could hear Dipper's voice.

 _"Grunkle Stan!"_

Stan's eyes snapped open. He was lying on the ground. Dipper was no longer lying dead in his arms but crouching over Stan alive and well.

"Dipper, you're alive?" Stan sat up. He put his hands on Dipper's shoulders just to make sure he was really there. Dipper's eyes looked up at him in confusion and worry, but it was one million times better than that horrible blank and lifeless stare.

"Grunkle Stan, are you okay? You were muttering and freaking out." Dipper threw the rock to get the Gremloblin to chase after him and lead it away from Stan. As soon as he lost it, he came back to check on his uncle.

"I saw you…the monster…you were…you were…"

"It's okay, Grunkle Stan. Whatever you saw wasn't real. The Gremloblin makes you see your worst fear."

Stan pulled Dipper close to him and hugged him. Stan sobbed as he buried his face in Dipper's hair. He wondered what Stan saw to make him so upset until he remembered Stan freaking out about him being alive.

"Grunkle Stan, your worst fear is me being dead?" He slowly pulled away from Dipper. He was shocked to see Stan practically drowning in his own tears. He had never seen Stan cry before, and he's never seen anyone cry as hard as this.

"Of course it is. I know I act like a jerk, but you mean the world to me. I am so sorry for hurting you."

Dipper remembered Grunkle Stan hitting him. In light of everything that's happened, it seems so long ago and insignificant. "It was my fault too. I shouldn't have said those things."

"It doesn't matter what you said. That doesn't excuse what I did."

"It's okay, Grunkle Stan. It doesn't matter." Dipper hugged Stan.

"I love you, Dipper. I love you more than anything in this world."

"I love you too, Grunkle Stan." Dipper rubbed the back of Stan's neck in a way he hoped was comforting.

"I thought I lost you."

"I guess I'm a lot tougher than you thought." Dipper felt a sense of relief when he got Stan to laugh.

"You really are, kid. You really are."


End file.
